A pitcher’s duel through seven innings, visiting UTSA hit an eighth-inning grand slam to pull away from Western Kentucky by a score of 5-0 on Thursday evening. Along with a solo homerun earlier in the game, the Roadrunners scored all five of their runs via the long ball. Starter Ryan Thurston was splendid yet again, allowing only one run – a leadoff homerun in the fourth by Trent Bowles – through the first seven frames. The lefty had allowed only four hits and two walks to that point with four strikeouts on 98 pitches.
But after getting the first out in the eighth, Thurston allowed three consecutive singles that loaded the bases for UTSA’s Ben Brookover. Reliever Conner Boyd – who had stranded 11-of-16 inherited runners coming into the game – replaced the Hilltopper starter, and allowed a grand slam on the fourth pitch of the at-bat.
WKU (13-13, 3-4) produced a rallying effort in the ninth, as Richard Constantine singled, Chase Larsen was hit by pitch and Colin Butkiewicz walked to load the bases. But Roadrunner reliever Derek Craft eked out a game-ending strikeout on his 48th pitch in his two innings of work.
UTSA (13-10, 4-2) starter Karan Patel went seven innings and allowed only three hits and walked one with six punch outs. Outfielder Luke Brown had two of those hits for the Hilltoppers and stole his fifth base of the season. The freshman outfielder has now produced multi-hit games in four consecutive starts.
Also in the lineup, Steven Kraft extended his on-base streak to 15 with a walk in the third, while Tyler Robertson extended his on-base streak to a career-high 13 games with a single in the sixth.
(Courtesy WKU Athletics)